A stack of books in Sacramento on Sept. 8, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
While some states have been banning books by the hundreds, California appears headed in the opposite direction — enacting a law that would penalize local school boards that block any book reflecting the state’s diversity.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is poised to sign Assembly Bill 1078, which is intended to prevent school boards from banning books based solely on the books’ inclusion of history or culture related to Black, Latino, Asian, Native American, LGBTQ people or other groups. It expands the state’s existing education code requiring schools to include the experiences of racial, ethnic and LGBTQ groups in curriculum.
“(This bill) offers a clear statement from the Legislature and governor about California’s commitment to free inquiry and non-discrimination in our public schools,” said UCLA education professor John Rogers, who’s studied book bans. “That’s always been important, but it’s particularly important now, as we’re seeing efforts in some areas to challenge the role of the public school as an instrument to promote the ideals of inclusion and diverse democracy.”
The bill follows a much-publicized effort in Temecula, in Riverside County, to block an elementary social studies textbook that includes a supplemental lesson on San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, the gay rights icon who was assassinated in 1978. The Temecula Valley Unified board in June voted to ban the textbook, with the majority arguing that lessons about LGBTQ rights and history are not appropriate for children.
Newsom intervened, threatening to send the textbook — which had already been approved by the state and Temecula teachers — to students directly and bill the district. The board then reversed course and agreed to adopt the materials.
But the events in Temecula are not what inspired the bill’s author, Assemblymember Corey Jackson, a Democrat from Moreno Valley. He said it was Florida that drove him to it. According to a database compiled by PEN America, Florida school districts, under a law signed by Gov. Rick DeSantis, have banned more than 500 books, including novels by Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison and biographies of baseball great Hank Aaron.
“These disgusting tactics are part of a national strategy by conservatives to literally retell history to not reflect the truth about people of color and people who identify as LGBTQ,” Jackson said.
“We have to take a stand, and prevent what’s happening in Florida from happening in California. We are in new territory, and we cannot be afraid to act.”
If signed by Newsom, the bill, which won legislative support on Thursday, would take effect immediately and create a new process for the public to complain directly to the state superintendent of public instruction if they feel students are being deprived of proper education materials. The state would provide the textbooks to the students and could deduct the cost of the textbooks from the district’s funding.
Although the bill has undergone a slew of amendments since it was introduced, the California School Boards Association remained opposed as of today. The bill’s intentions are laudable, said association spokesman Troy Flint, but the repercussions could be negative and long-lasting.
“These disgusting tactics are part of a national strategy by conservatives to literally retell history to not reflect the truth about people of color and people who identify as LGBTQ.” — Assemblymember Corey Jackson, Democrat from Moreno Valley
California already has a lengthy public process to adopt a new curriculum, he noted. In addition, the state, county offices of education and local school districts have complaint processes for the public to protest textbooks, policies or other facets of the education system. The public also has an opportunity to weigh in on textbooks when county offices of education conduct their annual reviews of instructional materials.
“We understand the motivations behind the bill, and we agree on the importance of students having access to inclusive textbooks,” Flint said. “But we think there are less inflammatory ways to handle this.”
Flint also pointed out that the bill could potentially stop schools from banning books that some might feel are racist or homophobic. That has already happened in some California schools. In 2020, Burbank Unified in Los Angeles County banned “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Of Mice and Men,” “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and two other books after parents complained that the books are racist.
“The implications are significant… Proponents are under the impression that the people in charge now will forever remain so,” Flint said. “A good law is just in all situations, not only in reaction to a certain environment.”
Jonathan Alexander, an English professor at UC Irvine, praised the bill, saying that protecting students’ access to high-quality works of literature — especially pertaining to LGBTQ issues — is more important than ever, considering the current polarized political climate. Students of all backgrounds and identities can benefit from learning the history and experiences of other groups, hopefully leading to a more equitable and accepting society, he said.
“If anyone’s going to lead us out of our current apocalypse, it’s going to be young people who’ve learned from each other and can show us better paths forward,” Alexander said.
“We understand the motivations behind the bill, and we agree on the importance of students having access to inclusive textbooks. But we think there are less inflammatory ways to handle this.” — Troy Flint, spokesman for the California School Boards Association
Book bans such as those in Florida can be damaging to young people’s mental health, especially LGBTQ youth who might be searching for positive stories featuring characters like themselves. The publishing industry is in a golden age of LGBTQ youth literature, he said, with a wide breadth of sensitive, well-written books available. Schools should be promoting those books, not banning them.
“California is sending a signal that we value inclusivity. We’re actively encouraging young people to think about what kind of life they want to craft for themselves, what the possibilities are for their future,” he said. “That’s in direct contradiction to what’s happening in other states.”
Alexander and Rogers both pointed out that the bill could have wide-ranging benefits.
“It’s important that young people grapple with the full history of our country, even if it can be uncomfortable,” Rogers said, “so as adults, they’re in position to make it a more just place.”
###
CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
Conceptual rendering of the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal | Photo: Harbor District
###
What will come of Crowley’s partnership with the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District?
Crowley Maritime, a private marine services and logistics company working on offshore wind and port development on the North Coast, has been the subject of criticism in recent months following allegations of sexual misconduct among some company higher-ups.
Just last week, the Outpost received word that Jeffrey Andreini, Vice President of Crowley Wind Services, had parted ways with the company amid allegations of inappropriate conduct with another Crowley employee. The company also faces two federal sex trafficking lawsuits that allege “terrifyingly similar fact patterns” in which women were taken on international business trips from the United States to El Salvador and allegedly abused by the same supervisor.
The allegations have prompted calls from some local stakeholders and tribal leaders asking the Harbor District to reconsider its partnership agreement with Crowley. In a recent op-ed published in the Times-Standard, Yurok Tribal Chairman Joe James said the allegations depict “a rotten company culture” and “give necessary reasons to consider reopening negotiations regarding port development” in Humboldt County.
Earlier this week, the Outpost sat down for a virtual interview with a couple of folks from Crowley – Amy Monier, director of projects for the Humboldt Offshore Wind Terminal Project, and Bob Karl, senior vice-president and general manager of Crowley Wind Services – to discuss the recent controversy and the company’s future here in Humboldt County.
Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
###
LoCO: As I’m sure you are aware, there are at least two local tribes – the Yurok Tribe and the Blue Lake Rancheria – that have submitted written comments to the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District citing concerns about Crowley’s “public record of sex trafficking, and forced labor allegations and violations, environmental violations, and business operation issues and violations,” according to a letter from the Blue Lake Rancheria. These tribes have also criticized Crowley for failing to address their concerns directly and have called upon the Harbor District to reconsider its port development partnership with Crowley. What has Crowley done and/or is doing to address these concerns?
[DISCLOSURE: The Blue Lake Rancheria is a minority owner of Outpost parent company Lost Coast Communications, Inc.]
Bob Karl: This is pending litigation, and we really don’t discuss individual cases such as this. But what I can tell you is that Crowley makes the safety of all of our people and all of our partners, including the communities where we do business, a top priority. We take these specific allegations very seriously and understand why there are concerns in the community. We are handling questions and the process of litigation through the appropriate legal channels but, unfortunately, I just can’t speak about legal issues.
Bob Karl | Crowley
What I would say though is Crowley’s taken numerous steps to train its employees to recognize when to speak up. Every employee goes through and completes regular training to proactively avoid, recognize and prevent harassment and discrimination [to] really promote a ‘speak up culture’. If you see something, say something about it. We have a strong policy of not just prohibiting harassment and discrimination, but really zero tolerance for retaliatory actions, which is key. You can’t have one without the other. You can’t have folks worried about retaliation if they raise your hand. This is a very important part of the process that Crowley has implemented. And for years, [we’ve had] a publicly published ethics hotline and an online reporting platform.
I’ve been with Crowley for just about a year now and before that, I was with a very large multinational corporation. The programs that I’ve seen in my short time with the company [regarding] sustainability, employee culture [and] how to prevent some of these awful things from happening – they’re some of the best that I’ve seen throughout my career.
Amy Monier: I second what Bob has said. I’m a part of the community as well, I live here. As a recent employee of Crowley myself, the policies and procedures in place are equivalent if not better than policies I’ve seen at other companies I’ve worked for. Safety in the community is paramount on this project as we move forward.
Amy Monier | Crowley
LoCO: Local tribes are concerned that the port development project and the surge in out-of-town workers could increase sexual assault, sex trafficking and Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) in Humboldt County. The Yurok Tribe in particular has stated that the developer must have “the right company culture,” one that “protects women [and is] eager to partner with tribes across the region to develop a strong prevention plan” for MMIP. I think the tribes are really looking for a commitment from Crowley. Can you speak to that as well?
Karl: We have spoken to multiple members in the tribal nations and we are 100 percent behind supporting all of the MMIP efforts. I have personally given my assurances that we wouldn’t move forward with a project of this magnitude and this complexity if we thought that we could not keep the community, our partners and the tribal nations safe. Not only during the construction processes but also during the operations component. This terminal is gonna run for 20 or 30 years. We’re building a world-class wind terminal right in your backyard and our goal is to put in place processes, procedures, and standards of care that will not allow for those atrocities to happen. We are fully aligned with the tribes’ concerns around MMIP.
LoCO:I’d also like to ask you about the recent departure of Jeff Andreini, the former vice president of Crowley Wind Services. I assume you can’t share any details about his departure, but I’m hoping you can speak to the change in leadership and who’s going to fill that local position.
Karl: Amy is Crowley’s lead on-the-ground [representative] for this project. We hired her four months ago with the intention of her becoming the director of port development in Humboldt. Our plan is to have her transition into the lead role to operate the terminal once construction is complete. I really feel it’s important to have continuity and leadership throughout the full development process and into the operations phase. Amy is our leader on the ground who is really driving this project forward.
Monier: I took this position with Crowley four months ago looking to lead the port development for Crowley. I was really excited about taking the position, A) because it’s in our backyard as we both live here and B) there’s really an opportunity to help the community with workforce development, bringing in our sustainability vision [and] looking at community benefits. There’s so much potential here and I’m really excited to be part of it.
LoCO: Again, there’s been a lot of pushback against Crowley in recent months and I’d like to know what that means for Crowley’s agreement with the Harbor District. Based on this conversation, it sounds like it’s full steam ahead. Is Crowley going to move forward with a lease agreement with the Harbor District by the end of the year as planned?
Monier: We appreciate the strong partnership with the Harbor District and we’re optimistic that we’ll continue to find a path forward to build this world-class port with the Harbor District. Negotiations are progressing on the lease, but as you mentioned, there’s been some concerns raised. We’re very focused on addressing those concerns and developing a community benefits agreement that will consider concerns brought up in the community and from the various tribal nations. Our focus is going to be spending time with the community and tribal nations so we can continue to learn about the values and cultures and concerns. …
On the topic of MMIP, again, as Bob has already said, Crowley is 100 percent aligned to partner and be a part of the solution to make sure that these atrocities don’t happen on the project and in the community moving forward.
Karl: Whenever we launch a project of this scale and size or build something that’s going to be around for 20 or 30 years, you become part of that community. And the only way to truly become part of a community is to understand the culture, the heritage and the concerns that surround that community. That starts with understanding the history and really becoming part of the solution to make sure that anything that might have happened in the past doesn’t happen again with your project. We’ve had some productive conversations with folks, both in the tribal nations and in the community, to really understand what those concerns are and we really do look forward to putting steps in place through Community Benefit Agreements … to really put that in writing and make sure that we have a documented roadmap forward.
LoCO: Before we talk more about Community Benefits Agreements, I’d like to talk a little bit about sustainability. Environmental advocacy groups have called upon Crowley and the Harbor District to implement a green port strategy. Can you speak to that as well?
Monier: Certainly. Our primary focus is developing the most technologically advanced and greenest port in conjunction with the Harbor District. As such, we’re collaborating with other port facilities, including Long Beach, to be sure we’re all sharing, learning and leveraging the latest technologies. It would be illogical to build a port to support the energy transition to wind technology that doesn’t represent those ideals. In fact, one thing I’m really excited about is that we recently adopted the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision Sustainability certification. … Implementing that on this port means it will be one of the first on the West Coast to have that sustainability certification.
Karl: Driving sustainability and really doing our part to help fuel and leverage this energy transition is a top priority for [Crowley]. We’ve spent a lot of time on our sustainability report that we published this year. That will help guide the steps we will take for port development. … It takes time to develop the technologies and it takes time to implement them – especially in existing ports. What is so exciting about Humboldt and some of the other reports that folks are going to develop up and down the West Coast is you’re starting from a clean sheet of paper. You can leverage the technologies that exist, which is why that collaboration between the ports up and down the West Coast is so important. We can all really learn together and put our best foot forward to really try to do what’s best for the planet and move this energy transition forward.
LoCO: What are some of the specific challenges you see in building out the Port of Humboldt Bay? And what are some of the perks?
Monier: During these initial stages we’re really trying to understand what the energy demand is going to be. … The current infrastructure in place on the peninsula, what does that look like? What equipment are we going to need? What is available in electric form? What is not? What does that look like down the road? One of the key things we also look at is how to design this [port terminal] to project future electrification. For example, putting conduits in place as equipment becomes available in electric format in the future. That way we’re not having to dig up the terminal 10 years from now.
Karl: There are so many exciting new technologies that are being developed. There’s green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol – all of these, these new, futuristic fuels. As they develop and become more readily available, we want to make sure that we’re not just building a terminal or a wind port that has the ability to use the technology that exists today. We really want a future-proof it so, as technology develops, we can implement those things where it makes sense and continue to make this a world-class port.
LoCO: Turning back to the Community Benefits Agreements aspect of all of this, I’m fairly savvy with how the process works and how these agreements are created as it relates to offshore wind developers and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). What does that process look like with Crowley and who would be included?
Karl: We have already begun discussions within the community and the tribal nations … about what concerns them and how to address it. To me, the Community Benefits Agreement will be developed in a way [that] really respects and benefits all members [of the community] and addresses the historical issues that have occurred in the past due to projects [and] different industries coming in and out [of the region]. That is a key component to make sure that we learn from the past so that we can have a more productive and safer future for the folks who live in the community. We’re all focused on specifically addressing the MMIP concerns. … I really appreciate what the Yurok Tribal Court did [by] publish[ing] this roadmap, these 10 steps on how to really start to think about MMIP around big projects like this. … What we really want to do is use that [document] as our starting point.
As we build out our Community Benefits Agreement, it is also paramount … to talk about workforce development and the workforce. For me, it’s extremely important that that process is inclusive and open to everybody. … We want to make sure that we’re looking at the skill sets that are going to be needed in three to five years. [We need to] start to put programs in place … to train folks that already live here. … That’s really the focus of a lot of the community benefits work that we’ve been talking about to date.
LoCO: One specific group we haven’t talked about during this conversation is the folks living out on the Samoa Peninsula. They’re going to be impacted by this heavy-lift marine terminal as much as anyone. I mean, that port is going to be right in their backyard. How could they potentially benefit from this project?
Monier: We’ve been meeting with folks on the peninsula, going to meetings to hear their concerns with the port development and we’ve also reached out to them to comment on the [Notice of Preparation of Draft Environmental Impact Report] process through the Harbor District for the CEQA documentation. But as you said, they are absolutely going to be one of the most impacted stakeholders because of where the terminal is going in. So, again, part of the Community Benefits Agreement is really understanding the needs and concerns there.
In the mega grant application to fund the phase first phase of the terminal, there were some community benefits programs [added in] to allow for grant applications towards $6 million that people on the peninsula and other groups can apply to have access to. We’ll continue to look at that through grant applications and various other funding opportunities.
It’s important to remember that this project is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. We’re taking our time to really, again, integrate and discuss with the people who will be impacted to make sure that we are investing with intention and purpose.
Karl: The only thing I’d add to that is it’s also extremely important that – because this is a new industry coming to the community – we find a way to coexist with current industries. I know there have been concerns raised with some of the different fishing industries and it is top of mind to make sure that we find strategies where both industries can coexist and thrive. It doesn’t help anybody if there’s one winner and somebody ends up losing. We want to find win-win situations where all industries can thrive. I think that we should be able to be very successful in that endeavor.
Monier: I would also add that stakeholder mapping is part of this initial stage. Even if a group was not mentioned by name, there are a lot of really impacted communities and stakeholders that we’re still mapping and meeting with. We want to be very inclusive with this process.
LoCO: Thank you. As you were talking I was thinking about a conversation I had with a few of the folks with Vineyard Offshore. We discussed community benefits and … they talked about working with East Coast fishing fleets to address some of their concerns. For example, they agreed to rearrange the entire turbine layout and space their turbines a full nautical mile to address their concerns. … Are there any specific examples you can point to that illustrate how Crowley has worked with other communities to address their concerns?
Karl: Particularly with port development, a lot of the discussion that we’ve been having with your community – as well as other communities where we’ve developed ports – revolves around how we look at the overall infrastructure of the city or the town that we’re coming into. How do we put strategies in place to make sure that that infrastructure is really bolstered to be able to deal with an influx of industry and an influx of new people? When I say that I think about things like the fire departments, police departments, and healthcare is always top of mind. How do you make sure that… you don’t stress the infrastructure to where it can’t keep up or can’t cope? Those are the types of things that we really start to think about when you get into the nuts and bolts of designing your terminal. How does that really apply to the surrounding infrastructure of the community that you’re working in?
Monier: As I mentioned, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. We don’t have all the answers today, but there will be tangible [solutions] moving forward. We are committed to working on those and really understanding the community’s needs, and tribal nations’ needs, as well as concerns around the workforce, terminal operations, fishing, traffic and how that’s gonna affect everybody. There are so many different things we’re looking at currently.
LoCO: Thank you both very much for your time today. Do either of you have any closing remarks about the port development project, Crowley’s partnership with the Harbor District, or anything else we’ve touched on during this interview?
Monier: I’d like to reiterate … that community and tribal safety is paramount to the success of this terminal. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the Harbor District on the terminal development, to realize a sustainable net-zero emissions terminal, while engaging with the county, cities, tribal nations, and other stakeholders to really understand what current programs are in place that will benefit the community and what the future needs are so we can invest in a community benefits program with intention and purpose.
Again, we’re looking at the long game here. … The terminal’s going to be here for a while and we want to really look at it from all aspects and not just rush into commitments without thoroughly looking at impacts to all parties involved. I can also say again, as a community member, I’m really excited to be part of this development process and with Crowley in particular. Part of the reason I took the job is that I saw that [Crowley] really put[s] their money where their mouth is, in a sense. … They’re really invested in doing things the right way. …
Karl: Something that I want to make sure … that folks understand [is] that these plans, these roadmaps that we’re building, we will document those and we will put that in writing. It’s important for us to have a roadmap that really lays out how the community will work together with its partners to build out a wind terminal such as this. It is the most important part of making sure that we can build this terminal and interact in the community where everybody benefits, where folks can feel safe and know that their best interest is top of mind. To me, that’s the most important thing. I want this to be viewed as a positive for the community and for tribal nations. The last thing we would ever want is for somebody to feel that their safety, their well-being was being minimized … That is the number one priority for Crowley and it should be, quite frankly, for any company.
On Friday, September 8th 2023 at approximately 9:00 A.M., the Fortuna Police Department received a report
that a 15 year old male student was in possession of a handgun and that he would be bringing the handgun to
school at the Eel River Community School located in the 2200 block of Newburg Road in Fortuna.
Officers were familiar with the 15 year old male student as he had been previously arrested by Fortuna Police
back in February of 2023 for attempted homicide, robbery, conspiracy and concealing evidence.
Officers responded to the Eel River Community School and coordinated with school administrators to detain the
student upon their arrival.
At approximately 9:22 A.M., the 15 years old male student arrived in the parking-lot of Eel River Community
School as a passenger in a vehicle and was immediately detained by officers. The 9mm Glock brand semi-
automatic handgun and a loaded magazine was located in his possession as well as a a separate loaded magazine
for a .22 rifle. The handgun and ammunition were seized and the student was immediately taken into custody
without incident.
The 15 year old male student was transported to Juvenile Hall and booked on the following felony charges:
California Penal Code 29650, Minor illegally possessing live ammunition
California Penal Code 25850(C)(6), Carrying loaded handgun
California Penal Code 12022.1, Commission of Felony while on custodial release
California Penal Code 25400(A)(1), Carrying concealed weapon in vehicle
California Penal Code 29610(A), Minor in possession of handgun
California Penal Code 459, Burglary
California Penal Code 626.9(B), Possession of firearm at school (Safe School Act)
California Penal Code 30310(A) Possession of ammunition at school
Officers and investigators conducted a follow-up search of the location where the 15 year old student had been
residing in the 2700 block of Hookton Road in Loleta, California. The 22. Caliber Rifle was located and seized
as evidence.
During this incident and as a precautionary measure, police contacted Walker Elementary School due to its
close proximity to Eel River School. Walker Elementary was put into a soft lockdown for a little over ten
minutes while police took the 15 year old student into custody. It should be noted that there was no information
regarding a direct threat to Walker Elementary School. The lockdown was precautionary, as we all take the
safety of our students and school staff very seriously.
I bet you do like one or more of them. Humboldt is a place that loves nature. Whenever you ask anyone why
they live here, or the benefits of living here, it’s just about
guaranteed that the beauty of our natural surroundings will be the
first thing out of their mouth.
A few months ago,
when we ran that great old Humboldt
Historian article about native lilies, it occurred to me that we,
the Lost Coast Outpost, Humboldt County’s home page, haven’t adequately reflected the county’s fierce love for the wilderness
and wild things. You rarely ever see a sea urchin busted for fentanyl
trafficking.
But that changes
today! Because today we are proud to launch HUMBOLDT
LIFE, a little interactive database of the animals and plants and
fungi and kelps and such that are known to inhabit our borders. (I’d
say that it’s we that
inhabit their borders,
but they don’t have borders.) We’re
pretty excited about this!
Humboldt
Life gives you pictures, maps, a short description and a taxonomy of
around 4,600 species of beings known to live in Humboldt County, along with links to find out more about them. This
data comes from the great iNaturalist
website, a worldwide hub for scientists both amateur and
professional. Most people who record their observations on that site
license their data under a Creative Commons license, so we’re able
to share a Humboldt-specific peek into the data they collect.
How does it work? I can walk you through it. Go to the top of the taxonomic tree, there — Life. If you’re looking for a specific creature, you can use the search feature at the top of the page, there. Start typing and the system will start looking through the common and scientific names of creatures we know to exist here. Click on the one you’re interested it, and it takes you to that page.
For example:
Now, you can also browse, if you like. Scroll down a bit and you’ll see the immediate taxonomic subcategories of “Life”, and below that illustrations of each of those subtaxa.
Click on any of them that catches your fancy. You may continue to browse up and down the tree from each of the pages you land on.
Each day at 5 a.m. the Outpost will pick a species to celebrate, based in part on what’s “in season” — flowering plants in the spring, say, or a migratory bird when it shows up on our shores. Fall is coming up, so expect a lot of fungus. Today’s animal of the day, as you’ve probably seen, is the Western Spotted Skunk. Go there, learn about this lesser-seen cousin of the stripey skunk, and share your thoughts!
It is our sincere hope that this new feature brings some of the natural world closer to you, on the days when you cannot be closer to it. And if you’re ever tempted to get more serious with your botanizing, you definitely want to install iNaturalist on your phone to join a pretty amazing community of citizen naturalists. If you’re a total newbie like me, you also want iNaturalist’s Seek app, which does a pretty good job of identifying what you’re pointing your phone at.
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has recently received the report of a computer scam leading to the theft of thousands of dollars from a local victim.
According to the victim, an anti-virus pop-up notification appeared on their home computer informing the victim that the computer had been hacked and sensitive information was at risk. The notification directed the victim to contact “Windows Defender” at 833-492-2407 in order to secure the computer. The victim contacted the number and allowed remote access to the computer after being told that the scammer needed to “run a diagnostic”. The scammer then went on to tell the victim that several bank accounts had been opened and charged under the victim’s name and even reportedly transferred the victim to another scammer pretending to be the bank.
The victim was instructed to send nearly $70,000 in cash wrapped in magazines in the mail to various locations on the East Coast to settle the accounts. After sending the money to the scammers, the victim then reportedly received a phone call claiming to be from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, spoofing the Sheriff’s Office phone number on caller ID, and later another claiming to be from the FBI Fortuna Field Office, also spoofing the agency’s phone number. Both callers again demanded more money, at which time the victim hung up and notified law enforcement.
This appears to be a sophisticated, large-scale online scam with many suspects involved. Scammers prey on fear and will pressure their victims to act immediately rather than stopping and evaluating the situation. If you receive unsolicited contact from someone or an organization you do not recognize, whether it be online, on the phone or even by mail, take pause and talk it through with someone you trust. Even a quick Google search of the situation can often be helpful to determine if it is a scam.
No government agency or banking institution will ask you to mail large sums of cash or pay fines with gift cards or pre-paid money cards. Additionally, while law enforcement may contact you regarding a warrant or investigation, we will never demand payment in exchange for dropping a warrant or stopping an investigation.
Remember these tips to help protect yourself from fraud:
Spot imposters Scammers often pretend to be someone you trust, like a government official, a family member, a charity or a company with which you do business. Don’t send money or give out personal information in response to an unexpected request – whether it comes as a text, a phone call or an email.
Do online searches Type a company or product name into your favorite search engine with words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” Or search for a phrase that describes your situation, like “IRS call.” You can even search for phone numbers to see if other people have reported them as scams.
Don’t believe your caller ID Technology makes it easy for scammers to fake caller ID information, so the name and number you see aren’t always real. If someone calls asking for money or personal information, hang up. If you think the caller might be telling the truth, call back to a number you know is genuine.
Talk to someone Before you give up your money or personal information, talk to someone you trust. Con artists want you to make decisions in a hurry. They might even threaten you. Slow down, check out the story, do an online search, consult an expert — or just tell a friend.
Don’t rely on personal information Living in the digital age, access to information is easier than ever. Scammers are often able to get their hands on very personal information, providing it to their victims to make their scam look more legitimate. Don’t trust a scammer who is able to provide your personal information. If you followed the above tips and still aren’t sure, call back at a publicly listed number for the organization from which the scammer claims to be or contact your loved one directly.
Today, Friday September 8, 2023 at approximately 9:00 am Fortuna Police Department received a report that a juvenile student would be bringing a handgun to school at Eel River Community School in Fortuna. Officers responded to Eel River Community School coordinated with the school to detain the juvenile upon their arrival.
At approximately 9:22 am the suspected juvenile student arrived in the parking lot of Eel River Community School and was met by officers. The handgun was located, seized and the juvenile is currently in custody.
As a precautionary measure Walker Elementary School due to its close proximity to Eel River School was put into a soft lockdown for a little over ten minutes. It should be noted that there was no information regarding a direct threat to Walker Elementary School. The lockdown was precautionary, as we all take the safety of our students and school staff very seriously.
California won’t join more than 20 other states and the federal government in banning the TikTok app on state phones and devices — at least not this year.
Senate Bill 74 — a bipartisan effort between Sens. Bill Dodd, a Napa Democrat, and Brian Jones, a San Diego Republican — was shelved while it was on the Assembly floor for a vote before the Legislature adjourns next Thursday, even though it had a relatively smooth path.
The Senate passed the bill 40-0 in late May, with an urgency clause to take effect immediately after being signed by the governor,and it breezed through Assembly committees, including a 16-0 vote last Friday to get out of the appropriations suspense file.
But now, it’s a two-year bill and won’t be considered again until 2024.
The bill was moved to the inactive file at the request of the authors to work out amendments, said Nina Krishel, a spokesperson for Jones. “Specifically, we need to ensure that the bill’s language doesn’t impede any law enforcement investigations,” Krishel said in an email to CalMatters.
The bill would ban TikTok and other “high-risk” apps on state-issued devices, but wouldn’t impact state employees or lawmakers from using TikTok on their personal devices.
The measure was amended from its original version to connect the ban to other state standards on security, and to allow state agencies to allow the short-form video app if it was necessary for official purposes — though that wasn’t defined further.
The state is investigating the safety of the app on state devices, and Attorney General Rob Bonta is part of a nationwide probe into Tik Tok’s impact on the mental health of young people.
President Biden signed a law last December banning federal employees from having TIkTok on their government phones, and at least 22 other states have some form of restriction amid fears that the Chinese government, which owns a piece of Tik Tok’s parent company, could use the app to spy on Americans.
Some critics question whether such bans unfairly target a Chinese-owned social media company.
While Tik Tok didn’t officially oppose the bill, it did send a letter describing security settings on the app, and suggesting the bill be amended to include all types of entertainment and social media platforms or applications.
The company has spent nearly $80,000 lobbying on SB 74 and three other bills this session, according to state records.
But TikTok isn’t the only social media company lobbying the state to protect its interests.
And social media companies are often successful. Last week, a bill by Sen. Nancy Skinner, an Oakland Democrat, to hold social media platforms liable for promoting harmful content about eating disorders, self-harm and drugs died in the Assembly’s appropriations committee. The bill had met with heavy opposition from tech companies, which helped stall a similar bill last year.
Robert Herrell, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, noted that several bills regulating social media platforms have died due to the effectiveness of the industry’s lobbying.
“You could try to single out a few members, but really this is about the outsized power of that industry — because of the largesse they have,” he said.
###
CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
